Secure, multi-lingual, flexible access system and method

ABSTRACT

A server operates between a patron (user), a subscriber (e.g., owner of a venue of exhibits and its website; museum, stadium, zoo, theme park, etc.), and possibly third parties such as a content distribution network (CDN). Access and content delivery are based on 1) control information provided to a patron device by physical objects at the venue and sent by the patron device to the server as part of a mutual authentication to one another, 2) user-specific information corresponding to the patron device, and 3) a pre-authorization exchange granting user-device access to physical objects and the server with the server receiving access to the user-specific information in order to locate requested information and select a subset thereof adapted in accordance with the user information. Moving physically between exhibits, a patron device rapidly disengages and re-engages the server, based thereon, without repeated logins.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/559,811, filed on Sep. 18, 2017, U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/618,803, filed on Jan. 18,2018, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/653,393, filedApr. 5, 2018, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This invention relates to user interfaces for delivery of websitecontent and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods forsimplifying authentication of users with their access rights andpreferences, and selection and delivery of content, in differentformats, selections, authorizations, or languages according to userinformation.

Background Art

Websites abound. Since the creation of the Internet decades ago by theDefense Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA), the Internethas grown to become very cosmopolitan and international. With this widespread applicability and access, websites may be accessed from multiplenations. This creates various obstacles or problems to be solved, suchas authentication. Typically this is done by login scripts, associatedwebpages presenting dialog boxes or fields to be filled in by a userwith a username, password, and possibly some account information toverify the identity of the user. Permissions, authorizations, access tovarious content, administrative access for reading or writing tolocations on a website, and the like may be controlled by variousmechanisms.

Websites that are primarily available to consumers (e.g., individualusers) with consumer services or benefits are problematic. For example,a museum, national park, zoo, or other website may have visitors(browsers). Likewise, these entities have physical venues, which may bevisited by patrons of any nationality language, ethnicity, age,capacity, or maturity. Similarly, business websites may provideinformation at differing levels of detail and authorization tocustomers, sales staff, managers, executives, owners associatedtherewith. It would be beneficial to provide tailored content moresimply, on the fly, so to speak, without laborious log-ins, especiallywhen location and content change within minutes, and such overhead foraccess becomes so very burdensome.

This may apply to information accessed over the Internet to websitevisitors, but also to visitors (staff, patrons, etc.) actually onsite ata venue. Content may include images, text, descriptions, audio playback.These may pertain to or augment exhibits, maps, instructions, responsesto questions, data, charts, reports, and so forth.

Conventional controls and logins for access and authentication arecomparatively clumsy, especially when considering an individual passingbetween many different exhibits mere minutes apart at a physical site(venue). Moreover, providing tailored content onsite or offsite isproblematic.

One conventional solution is to simply create multiple websites, eachwritten to a different audience. That audience may be distinguished bylanguage, culture, relationship, status, authority, role,responsibility, vetting, or the like.

For example, the Hewlett Packard Corporation website (www.hp.com) is oneexample. The LDS church (www.lds.org) website provides an example. Theydemonstrate conventional creation of effectively multiple websites, eachdedicated to its own language. Each makes sense. Each serves a huge,worldwide population every day.

Not so, custom content delivered to an individual visiting a venuecontaining many exhibits. Some exhibits may be skipped. Time at each andthe order of visiting may be somewhat, or even completely, arbitrary. Itwould be an advance in the art to provide a better, less clumsy, andmore transparent authentication process early, thereby replacing a laterauthentication.

Thus, later authentication may be opaque and non-invasive, evenautomatic. An individual need not log in and out repeatedly during ashort time span, such as passing between exhibits at a museum,historical site, or other venue. Both simplification of authenticationand providing language differentiation in content delivery withoutrequiring an entirely different website to do so would improve theability of comparatively smaller organizations and venues to make use ofauthentication systems and multi-lingual content.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, in accordance with the invention as embodiedand broadly described herein, a method and apparatus are disclosed inone embodiment of the present invention as including a Liiingo™ serverconnected over an internetwork, such as the Internet. A Liiingo™ serveroperates between a patron and a subscriber, such as an owner, manager,or other agency responsible for a venue and its website. Typically, avenue is a place represented by a website, both visited by patrons. Apatron may be thought of as an individual user, a commercial patron of avenue such as a museum, stadium, zoo, theme park, or other entertainmentevent that may have different stations, exhibits, or the like inreasonably close proximity (in a single venue).

The Liiingo™ server is recruited in the service of a subscriber (venueowner) and is accessed by a patron or individual user. The Liiingo™server maintains account information, which may include informationregarding all subscribers as well as all patrons. The server controlsaccess and content delivery. It may also collect demographic data, use,content tracking, and the like regarding subscribers, patrons, or both.This information may be useful to subscribers, and historically usefulfor patrons, in order to prepare, select, and deliver probable contentdesired.

Meanwhile, video content or other content, particularly that whichrequires considerable storage and bandwidth for maintenance and deliverymay be streamed from a remote, third-party website engaged by theLiiingo™ server for the purpose. In certain embodiments, the patron orindividual user may access content related to an individual subscriberthrough the Liiingo™ subscriber online from a desktop computer, oronline from a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, kiosk, orother network-aware, computerized device.

The Liiingo™ server may embody and implement programming for rapidauthentication by novel and nonobvious methods compared to prior artsystems in order to render more transparent and seamless the motion of apatron between site content of a desktop computer, and particularly whenmoving physically between exhibits at a recreational or other venue.Various third party servers may contain media files and streamingsoftware to deliver video content and other content in a selectedlanguage corresponding to an individual patron.

In certain embodiments, a system in accordance with the invention may bethought of as being accessed by various entities. For example, a patronusing a mobile device, and onsite at a recreational venue, may bethought of as a viewer of content. Meanwhile, certain systems remotelycarried by patrons may instead rely on a widget viewer in accordancewith the invention.

A subscriber may access a server through a conventional browser on adesktop computer, while an administrator of a website for a subscribermay have access over the Internet through a browser as well. Meanwhile,a super administrator may be designated for highest level or broadestavailability of permissions in order to manage both subscriber issuesand content issues. In fact, a super administrator or an administratormay be an employee of a subscriber organization.

However, it is typically preferable that a super administrator beassociated with the Liiingo™ server itself, while an administrator maybe either an employee of the Liiingo™ system or of a subscriber withlimited permissions to work over administrative data and contentupgrades.

In certain embodiments, a Liiingo™ server in accordance with theinvention may listen for requests, and receive an API request through anAPI program for the purpose. Authentication may involve checking tokens,verifying validity, checking credentials, and creating tokens forproperty authenticated access not originally possessing them.Permissions may be checked against various criteria including payment,geographic fencing, relationships, pre-authorized roles, need to know,and so forth.

The process may include a validation portion or authentication portion,which, when properly completed, will then process a request by reading,routing to a controller, and executing the processes required to complywith a request or to respond to the request. These may include thetypical processes of creating, reading, updating, or deleting data.Limitations on the processing may be limited to particular areas,exhibits, locations, content, language preferences, and the like.

Ultimately, after authentication and processing, a system in accordancewith the invention may respond by providing status information, actualdata including rendered data in video, audio, visual image, text, or thelike. Likewise, a response may include a message of instruction, or acontent message.

One currently contemplated embodiment of a possible interaction systemoperates between a subscriber and a server in accordance with theinvention. It may also include another administrator acting on behalf ofa subscriber. An administrative agent may launch a browser, input orreceive a uniform resource locator (URL) and then access a server inaccordance with the invention.

The server may then server a client side web application in a languagesuch as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or the like. At this point, a usercomputer may load a web application onto the patron's computerizeddevice, such as a mobile platform.

Requests may be made to the application programming interface (API) onthe Liiingo™ server including retrievals, saving, creating, reading,updating, deleting, and so forth. The Liiingo™ server may then processthe request and respond to it. At that point, action by the applicationexecuting on the patron device may then occur. This process may continueuntil an authorization expires, a patron desires to logoff, shutoff, ormove away from an authorized and applicable location. The userinteraction may include purchasing an application (App) at anapplication store, installing it, and thereby having access to APIrequests or making an API request of the system.

In other modes, an individual may attempt to access a website, and bedetected as not containing a proper application (App), and thereby beingoffered information of how to access the application. To this end,something such as a bar scan, or QR scan may result in reading aparticular URL, launching a browser to access that website identifiedwith the URL, and then testing for presence of an application.

If the application is present then API requests may be submitted. Ifnot, then the patron may be redirected again to a web application storeto access the store, purchase, or agree to provisions required, followedby downloading the application and installing it.

A process may pass through submitting an API request, processing thatrequest and the authentication for it by the Liiingo™ server, followedby responding to that request which will usually involve sending acontent identifier and then submitting content views controlled by thecontent identifier. The user may then download the content to be viewed,and repeat that process with additional API request. API request mayoccur by selecting of buttons reflecting decisions and desires of apatron, or may be automatic with the movement of a patron from exhibitto exhibit. Ultimately, upon completing a tour of various exhibits, auser may be logged out affirmatively, or automatically in accordancewith various embodiments of the invention.

In one embodiment of an apparatus and system in accordance with theinvention, a method may be used to customize a software application fora user experience by mutual authorization. For example, an exchange mayoccur between a main server and a patron device. A patron device istypically a network aware device, such as a smart phone, a tablet, orthe like. Meanwhile, a server may be available through a wide areanetwork (e.g., WiFi) in order to access the internet. The device willtypically be hand held, although certain desktop access to a websitesupported by a main server is also contemplated.

Pre-authorization is provided from the patron device to the main server.This is typically done by accessing a webpage through a browser on thepatron device in order to request access to the main server hosting thatwebpage, by granting certain permissions.

For example, the main server may download selected information to thepatron device and loaded application (App) thereon. The App is dedicatedto contacting the main server directly by a simplified login process. Inone contemplated embodiment, a user may download the App from the mainserver to the patron device and install it. In the process a userprovides certain pre-authorization for subsequent communications ofproprietary information of each (both the main server and the patrondevice. This authorization may include authorizing communications andsharing of data between some other entity (surrogate) associated withthe main server and the patron associated with a patron device in thefuture.

Consent may be exchanged for access to the main server by a loginprocedure, a terms-of-use contract, or the like. Meanwhile, permissionmay be granted to access certain information from the patron device orcertain information regarding the patron who owns or controls the patrondevices or the information on the patron device. Permission may includeauthorization for access, use, or both in a future time. These may allbe pre-authorized by a user (patron) through the patron device.

It is explained and understood between the main server and the patrondevice that future communications therebetween may be triggered by aphysical object. The physical object provides an ability to customizeand authorize certain exchanges based on proximity to, or informationprovided by, the physical object.

In certain embodiments, the main server may actually be the physicalinstantiation of a website serving information that pertains to orexplains more about the physical object itself or an associated exhibit.For example, the main server may be owned by a museum, theme park, zoo,botanical garden, canopy tour, bicycle pathway, city park, or operatorof another venue. Thus, an individual pre-authorizes communication withthe main server.

One benefit is the exchanging between the main server and the patrondevice of a request for certain content, which may be identified as“requested content.” Typically, the physical object may provide certaininformation, including an identifier. The identifier is uniquelyassociated with the physical object. Thus, if an exhibit is nearby, oris the physical object, then the identifier may be scanned in by anysuitable method, received from a beacon at the exhibit communicating tothe patron device, or the like.

The patron device may thus read or otherwise communicate from thephysical object certain information, including an identifier uniquelyassociated with the physical object, as well as data unique to andidentifying content on a webpage of the main server. Identifiers may beuniquely associated with the physical object, its immediate location, anexhibit associated therewith and identified thereby, for the web contentavailable in associates therewith, or the like.

In this way, certain security mechanisms may be automated in subsequentuse without requiring another login, any password, or otherauthorization to the main server from the patron device. For example,the patron device hosts an application previously provided by the mainserver. During the receipt of that App, the main server, the patrondevice, each, either, or both, will have transmitted (e.g., exchanged)certain information that effectively renders the patron device anapproved client of the main server and authorized to have certain accessrights. The App, when executing on the patron device may contact themain server, and identify authorized information from the patron device,providing any security codes or code numbers, client number, or the likerequired and recognized by the main server in order to operate with thepatron device. Information provided by the patron device will provideidentification of the patron device, and may provide certain settings orother information particular to the patron device.

For example, the patron device may contact the main server, by browsingto a webpage directly. The patron device will typically browse to thatwebpage or a homepage associated with the main server immediately anddirectly upon launching the App on the patron device.

In one example, the patron device may be turned on, and the applicationthereon may be launched upon entry to a venue. Thereafter, an exhibitmay be encountered, having a physical object positioned proximatethereto. For example, a frame, a kiosk, a post, a sign, or the like maypresent at the venue, and be scanned by a reading device or a readingapplication an associated hardware in the patron device. This identifiesthe fact that the patron device is at the physical object and able toaccess data authorized thereby. Thus, the patron device may read certaininformation from the physical object, or receive it by transmission fromthe physical object.

Having received information, including an identifier, the applicationmay then communicate with the main server what information is wanted,identified by the identifier provided by the physical object. Linkingoccurs to the requested content. The main server may thereby bring upfrom a database or other location, the requested information (content).

Typically, that information may be served by the main server, drawn froma database and served by a webpage hosted by the main server.Alternatively, the content may be forwarded to the browser orapplication running on the patron device from some other (third party)server. For example, very large files, such as audio files and videofile are best served by a content distribution network (CDN).

Meanwhile, maintaining a linking of the requested content to the mainserver with respect to either a database, a content server (CDN), or theserver itself may render possible the serving of the requested contentto the patron device.

Authenticating the patron device to the main server may be accomplishedby the App hosted thereon. It may send certain information, such as acustomer or client identification number assigned to the App. It maysubmit other key information, but typically not requiring a user tointervene, provide a user name, password, or the like.

One benefit of a system and method in accordance with the invention isthat a user (patron) need not log in repeatedly to a website ordifferent ones as a tour throughout a venue proceeds from location tolocation. By maintaining the linking of the requested content to themain server and to a location where that requested content may be found,the main server remains in control of what information is provided.

The information may be updated at will. A subscriber entity (the venueowner), such as the zoo, museum, or other business entity responsiblefor the venue, may be in control, while not having to host and maintainall of the files. Meanwhile, the patron device may be authenticated tothe main server by the identifying information that the application usesto contact the main server.

In fact, with the App installed in the patron device, the patron devicemay effectively “call home” through the App. The App will be able tocontact and continually update the contact information to the mainserver. Meanwhile, the patron device may then provide access to patrondata needed to customize (e.g., for format, detail, language, ageappropriateness) the content delivered to the patron device according tothe patron experience desired or needed.

For example, a user may need language help. That language help mayinvolve a foreign language with respect to the location of the venue,may include American Sign Language (ASL) providing signing, text, or thelike. For example, subtitles may be provided since audio cannot bereceived by the patron, or an ASL interpreter, or simply hand signs, maybe shown on a screen delivering a video or audio presentation.

In one embodiment, basic information, since it is time specific,physical location specific, physical object specific, patron devicespecific, or pre-set-arrangement specific, or several thereof, may beprovided to the patron device exactly as desired. Again, the informationpresented in a foreign language with respect to the venue, may beprovided in a video format for a person who is sighted, may be providedin only audio format, or audio-video format, or the like, as best suits,and therefore is authorized for receipt by, the patron device.

In certain embodiments, such a method may include displaying by thepatron device images, text, audio, video, a combination thereof, or thelike. An individual patron may receive on the patron device controlledthereby the specific format that can best be understood by the patron.Meanwhile, the main server may authorize a content distribution network(CDN) server to deliver the requested content to the patron device.Typically, audio files, video files, and the like are comparativelyquite large compared to text, characters, diagrams, and even “stills”(images). Thus, they are best served by a CDN server adapted to thatspecific use.

In one embodiment, part of the information provided by the fixed objectcommunicating to the patron device may be a uniform resource locator(URL) identifying certain specific information to be served to thepatron device. Meanwhile, communication of the information from thepatron device, or identifying the patron device, may directly identifywithin that URL, a subset of the information (content) available thatwill ultimately be provided.

Thus, information may be provided in multiple languages, multipleformats, or both. The specific one of those presentations identified tocoordinate with the specific patron device, is served up. All thatcoordination is based on the patron device knowing the proper URL, themain server knowing the patron device, and the exchanges authorized andtailored based thereon.

Knowing the proper URL is itself only possible by reading theinformation from the physical object. This assures that the patrondevice is at the physical object. Meanwhile, that information may alsobe identified by a corresponding data table, binding table, or the liketo the main server. Information is only authorized to go to a designatedserver. Thus it cannot be purloined by any other system. Unless anindividual patron device is accessing the specific URL through thepatron device, the information will not be sent to any machine but themain server for presentation to the App on the patron device. The sameapplies to the CDN, or the like.

Actual knowledge at the specific time and linking access to the serverare all required in order to access information. Thus, time, access tothe physical object, physical patron device, and identificationinformation on the patron device, specifically, are used individuallyand together to provide mutual authorization between the patron deviceand the main server. Meanwhile, that same identification information maybe relied upon by the main server in instructing the CDN (as a surrogateserver) to serve to the patron device the requested content.

In various embodiments, the physical object may be a fixture installedat a location at a venue. For example, the fixture may simply be a sign,post, label, or the like located on a particular piece of real estate orat a particular location on a path, road, exhibit, or the like. Thisfixture corresponds uniquely to a proximity to a physical location. Thephysical object may actually be a sign. On the other hand, it may alsobe a beacon, or kiosk, or simply a readable code fixed to some sign,such as on a building or sign post.

Other embodiments may include books or other reading material having areadable code, string of characters, QR code, bar code, or the like. Oneadvantage of the QR codes is the fact that they provide a twodimensional array of data bits in a black and white format that willpermit substantial information transfer.

The physical object may also be a vehicle. A package containing aproduct may be labeled with certain information or codes, or thatinformation may be contained on some object (instruction, product)inside the package. Meanwhile, signs and transmitters may also provideinformation of codes to the patron device.

In certain embodiments of an apparatus and method in accordance with theinvention a patron device may provide location data identifying itsspecific location to the main server. However, by virtue of obtainingcertain code information or any information from the physical locationto the patron device, the patron device may thereby identify to the mainserver its own location.

The main server may authorize delivery of the requested content based ona comparison of the location data and the content location data (thecorresponding location to which the request content pertains) in somedatabase record or index. The main server corresponding to thesubscriber owning or controlling the venue of which the physical objectexists may then serve up the requested content. Again, the requestedcontent may be served up from the main server, may be retrieved from adatabase that is served up by the server, or may be served up by a thirdparty CDN at the request and authorization of the main server.

Such a method may also include providing a system that includes the mainserver, a CDN, as a content server, a database for storing records ofinformation, a subscriber computer that effectively controls the mainserver (pertaining to and sponsored by the subscriber), even though themain server may actually be in the physical custody and under thephysical administration of a third party engaged by a subscriber toprovide those server services.

Meanwhile, the patron device may typically be provided by a patron tothe venue and connected to the network through a browser, or preferablythrough an App previously loaded from the server to the patron device.The method may also include providing the requested content hosted byeither the database, the main server, or the content server.

In at least one embodiment, a method may provide requested content in aplurality of languages, delivering according to user informationprovided in association with the patron device. The language or theauthorized information suitable for and authorized for the patrondevice. This may be done automatically based on the previousrelationship that result in the exchange of the application, andpreauthorization by the patron device for the main server to use thespecific information needed to sort and deliver the portion or subset ofthe requested content for which the patron device is authorized, or hasindicated a format, language, or the like.

Such a method may also include authenticating a patron device based onthe preauthorization by a patron as a user who corresponds inexclusively to the patron device. In other words, the patron device willtypically pertain exclusively to an owner, the patron. Thus,authentication may typically be based on the preauthorization as well asa content identifier that identifies the content in its stored location,whatever that may be. Typically, the content identifier may be a URLthat is identical to a website identifier corresponding to the requestedcontent and to a subscriber, such as a venue owner controlling, orotherwise responsible for the content served main server.

By virtue of the physical object providing a content identifier to thepatron device, mutual authentication occurs quickly, withoutconventional passwords, or any requirement for a login, or the like.Rather, the application substitutes for a login, and a previouslyauthorized exchange of information and previously authorized informationmay control the content exchange as appropriate.

In such a system, the subscriber may be thought of as the owner of thevenue, who owns and controls a website, even if that website isadministered by a third party under contract. Accordingly, thesubscriber will typically own the physical object, corresponding webcontent, and rights to the information provided by (e.g., identified byand corresponding to) the physical object.

In one alternative embodiment, a system provides by automatic, mutualauthorization between a main server and a content distribution networkand a patron device. A virtual private network may be made up of a mainserver, a patron device, and a content distribution network. The mainserver, content distribution network, and patron device may be operablyconnected to communicate over a physical network, whether a wide area,local area, internetwork (e.g., Internet) or the like. The main servermay be programmed to receive from the patron device pre-authorizationfor subsequent communication and proprietary information of each of thethree devices, as triggered by a physical object to be encountered inthe future, and typically controlled by the owner of the main server.The patron device may be programmed to receive from the physical objectinformation comprising an identifier corresponding to the physicalobject and corresponding to requested content controlled by the mainserver.

Accordingly, the patron device may be programmed to request of the mainserver the requested content based on the identifier, and toauthenticate the main server based on the identifier and thepre-authorization. The main server, may be programmed to authenticatethe patron device to receive the requested content based on theidentifier and the pre-authorization of the patron device to the mainserver.

Thus, a content distribution network may be programmed to deliver therequested content in a format, including a selected subset authorized,requested, or otherwise deemed appropriate for the patron device, basedon patron information provided by the patron device to the main server.This may be determined also, in part, by the identifier that is providedto the patron device by the physical object.

Such a system may include programming the main server to query adatabase based on the identifier, and to communicate to the patrondevice the requested content based on the identifier, but only if therequested content is based on patron information corresponding to thepatron device and disclosed to the main server pursuant to thepre-authorization. Thus, content may be tailored, controlled, limited,selected, and the like without logins, passwords, and the like, thenecessary information and security checks being conducted based on aprevious relationship.

The system may include programming in a main server that is effective toselect a subset of the requested content, based on the patroninformation. For example, a language may be selected as suitable for thepatron device (thus the patron). Information may be retrieved from alocation in a database at a particular URL, and a subset thereof may beselected based on patron information communicated by the patron device,at the time of the request, or at a previous time.

For example, an authorization may be provided as a pre-authorization atthe time of downloading an App, whereas the actual information may betransmitted at another time, being obtained from a database bypermission therefrom. Alternatively, or in addition patron deviceinformation may be uploaded from the patron device at the time of therequest for information.

Similarly, patron information may be an indicator of languagepreference, a need to know controlled by some other computer not underthe control of the patron device, such as an employer's database, wherethe request for information is based on an employee's authorization needto know. Similarly, patron information may include an authorizationreceived from an owner of the requested information, or of the subset.

For example, a sales person may receive certain proprietary files from amain server, or as authorized by the main server. Authorization may bebased on the status of that sales person in an organization.Accordingly, some level of authorization, or some status by title orother indicator may be associated with the patron device, with adatabase record corresponding to the patron device, its owner, or thelike.

Similarly, contracts and their authorizations may be saved in adatabase, or in a status identification on a patron device. Theseprovide a readable record in the database or on the patron device givingthe server the information necessary to provide the appropriate subsetof information to the patron device. Similarly, security clearances fromgovernment entities may be identified in databases or on patron devicesin similar fashion.

In general, one or more of the hardware components in a system inaccordance with the invention may store on a computer readable,non-transitory memory certain data structures. Data structures are oftwo types, executables that effectively are loaded into a processor of acomputer to be executed (programming instructions), and operationaldata, which is numbers having meaning due to their formatting orlocation in memory and being the numerical values that are to beprocessed by the executables.

Thus, such a memory aforementioned may include data structures such as amain server as a software program programmed to instruct a processor tocustomize delivery of content between itself and a patron deviceoperably connected thereto over a network by automatic, mutualauthorization therebetween. The main server may be programmed toexchange between itself and the patron device pre-authorization forsubsequent communication of proprietary information pertaining one orboth of the main server and the patron device. That communication may betriggered by a physical object to be determined or encountered by thepatron device in the future.

Thus, the main server may be programmed to provide, on behalf of thephysical object and in response to a patron device application, anidentifier constituting data identifying the main server as proxy forthe physical object. Thus, the physical object may be reduced in therequirements imposed on it.

For example, a physical sign providing a code, such as a QR code, mayidentify to a patron device sufficient information for the patron deviceto launch an App, or read that data from the physical object by theapplication hosted on the physical object. They App may thereby access aremote server responsible for serving up the current version of thedesignated content data. This saves time, storage, and the complexity ofmaintaining information synchronized at several locations. Rather, theserver serves up either access or the information itself.

The patron device App may contain instructions programmed to install ona patron device to send to the main server a request for requestedcontent identified by a patron possessing the patron device, or simplyrequested content identified by the physical object to the patrondevice. The request contains an identifier received from andcorresponding to the physical object, which also corresponds to therequested information. Moreover, typically, the server will alsomaintain a binding or correspondence in some type of a data table orassociation table linking the physical object to the requestedinformation, often by a URL. It may also maintain a binding orcorrespondence between the patron device and personalized parametersthat control selection of a subset of the requested information adaptedto the patron, patron device, or both.

Thus, a patron device application may include a first authenticationexecutable deliverable to the patron device from the main server andexecutable on the patron device to pass the identifier received from thephysical object to the server upon request for the requested content. Bymaking the identifier the identifier in the system unique to therequested information, and having in the system, such as on thedatabase, server, index, table, or the like, the association between theserver and the URL, that server alone may receive the contentinformation, as an additional security mechanism.

Thus, having the URL is of no benefit to any other device other than theserver. In other words, the URL of the data and the URL of the servermay be linked. These, in turn, may be linked to the physical object orsome identification or identifier of the physical object. Thus, theinformation may only be obtained at a time and by a method that requiresproximity of the patron device to the physical object, and the linkingof the physical object, the requested information, and the servertogether.

Meanwhile, a second authentication executable on the server may beprogrammed to access the requested content and a particular subsetthereof based on the pre-authorization formally received from the patronApp on the patron device, or from the patron device in acquiring apatron App. Such information may be stored by the database or the patrondevice, and may be linked to the requested content and the main serverby the identifier, and the tables that maintain the association betweenthe requested content, the main server, and the physical object.

This memory may rely on the second authentication executable beinghosted on the server. The server software may thus be programmed toaccess user profile data in the database, or on the patron device, orboth. Meanwhile, the user profile data may be linked or combined withthe identifier received from the physical object to form a contentaccess control code that provides a portion of the requested informationbased on the profile data, from the requested information identified bythe identifier. Thus, pre-authorization received from the patron deviceapplication and stored by the database, or delivered at the time ofaccess need not require a login such as a username, password, and soforth at the time. Thus, the speed, access, and relationships have allbeen negotiated in advance, and the software may do its work to providea seamless experience to a patron touring, or wandering at will, throughbut a venue.

In an alternative embodiment of the method in accordance with theinvention, customization of the information may be delivered to a patronon using a patron device by mutual authorization. This authorization mayinclude exchanging between a main server and a patron device,pre-authorization for subsequent communication of proprietaryinformation of each therebetween, to be triggered by a physical objectin the future.

Exchanging between the main server and the patron device a request forrequested content, the method may address a request containing a firstidentifier received by the patron device directly from and correspondingto the physical object and the requested content. The method may thenmaintain a linking of the requested content stored in at least one ofthe database in a content distribution network, to the first identifierand to a second identifier, corresponding in the main server.Authenticating both the patron device to the main server to receive therequested content and the server to the patron device to access patrondata, corresponding to the patron device, may be based on the firstidentifier as a content access control code and the second identifier asa destination and delivery control code. Thereby, a server may deliverthe requested content to the patron device in response to the request.

This method may include delivering requested content based on at leastone of corresponding the first and second identifiers to theauthenticating, and corresponding the requested information as a patrondevice. Moreover, a subset may comprise at least one of images, text,audio, and video presentable by the patron device. Delivering therequested content may include directing the requested content to a mainserver from some other storage location, such as a database, or thelike.

Likewise delivering may include delivering content from a third partyserver, such as a CDN. Typically, a subset will be delivered, in thatthe subset represents some form or portion of the requested contentappropriate to the patron device based on proprietary information of thepatron device, the server, the information, or both. Typically,information may be tailored according to the patron device need oraccess authorization. Thus, authorizing by a main server a CDN todeliver requested content may be more suitable for large volumes of data(e.g., video files) best hosted on a CDN.

The physical object may be selected form a fixture installed on alocation, a region of real estate corresponding to a proximity to aphysical location, or be at a physical location, reading material, avehicle, a package containing a product, a flyer or other informationinside a package, or a code on a product itself. Meanwhile, signage, oreven a transmitter at the physical object may contain a code providinginformation corresponding to the requested information, and the mainserver.

The method may include providing by a patron device, location data,corresponding to the location thereof. This information may be obtainedfrom the patron device as proprietary information, or from the physicalobject, or may include both, which may be matched against one another bythe main server when the information is delivered. Thus, authorizing bythe main server the delivery of requested content may be based onlocation data and the content location data available to the main serverand corresponding to both the subscriber and the requested content.

These may also be combined in a database record that links orcorresponds the location of the physical object, the subscriber whocontrols or owns the main server, and the content, as well as the venue,typically, at which the physical object is located. These may be boundto the information in the data table or the like.

The method may therefore include providing a system operably connectedto the main server, the CDN, the database, a subscriber computer(typically an administrative computational facility of a subscriber whohas the right to control the main server), and a patron device allconnected in a network. Providing by the main server the requestedcontent corresponding exclusively to a subscriber, and therefore linkedto the main server may provide additional security. Meanwhile, hostingby either a database, the main server, the CDN, or the like, therequested content may be released by the control of the main server tothe patron device.

In certain embodiments and method may include providing requestedcontent a plurality of languages and delivering the requested content tothe patron device in a language selected automatically from theplurality of languages, based on the pre-authorization provided earlierby the patron device (therefore the patron). Therein, the authenticatingmay be based on the pre-authorization executed by the patron to whichthe patron device corresponds exclusively.

The content identifier may be a uniform resource locator (URL)corresponding to website controlled by the subscriber, and identified bythe physical object. Typically, that website is served up by the mainserver. Its content may come from anywhere, including a widget hosted onthe website that brings in and delivers content from the CDN.Alternatively, a widget on the patron device may actually include awindow in the webpage that is delivered for viewing to the patrondevice, in which window the content delivered by the CDN may play ordisplay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the present invention will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described with additional specificity and detail through use ofthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a system inaccordance with the invention where subscribers may provide access tocontent through a centralized Liiingo™ server maintaining an accountdatabase of key information, and providing access to direct streamingfrom a remote server to an individual patron;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of additional details of such a system,illustrating multiple platforms and access methodologies;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the relationships between differentonline personas in a system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of anauthentication process in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a subscriber-administratorinteraction process in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a patron-user interaction relatedto a mobile application installation and use;

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a patron or user interaction withthe Liiingo™ server through a widget implementation;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an embedded authorization processin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of media content records for use ina system and method in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of an accountrecord for use in a database for authentication in accordance with thesystem and method of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a variable content deliverysystem in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of an alternative embodiment of avariable content delivery system in which access may be through a mobiledevice; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of a variable content deliverysystem in accordance with the invention wherein access may be madethrough a triggering event through a remote user or patron computer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be readily understood that the components of the presentinvention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawingsherein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of differentconfigurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of theembodiments of the system and method of the present invention, asrepresented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, as claimed, but is merely representative of variousembodiments of systems and methods in accordance with the invention. Theillustrated embodiments will be best understood by reference to thedrawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 includes a server 12 referred to as aLiiingo™ server 12 operates to implement the system 10 between its ownsubscribers 16, patrons 18 associated with those subscribers 16, andstreaming services 20 engaged to serve to users 18 or patrons 18streamed content proprietary to the subscribers 16. In the illustratedembodiment, an accounts database 14 is maintained by the server 12 as amechanism for implementing both security, and content indexing.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the server 12, subscriber 16,patron 18 may communicate over an internetwork 22. Links 22 a through 22f illustrate communication links that may be used in practice tocommunicate between the entities 16, 18, 20 and the system server 12.For example, communications 24 or data 24 may pass between certain ofthe entities 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, where the entity may be anorganization, an individual, and also the computer system 12, 14, 16,18, 20 corresponding thereto.

Herein every alphanumeric reference refers to a specific instance of thenumeric reference. Thus, a trailing alphabetical character represents aparticular instance of the item identified by the reference numeral.Thus, for example, communications between the subscriber 16 and theserver 12 are represented by the communication 24 a. Responses orcommunications 24 b instituted by the server 12 and directed to thesubscriber 16 are represented by the communication 24 b, and so forth.

In a currently contemplated embodiment, a subscriber system 16 orsubscriber computer 16 may represent a computer hosting or serving up awebsite for a subscriber 16. The subscriber 16 may be thought of a“client” 16 of the organization or entity operating the server 12. Forexample, a zoo, a museum, an art gallery, a theme park, a recreationvenue, or the like may constitute a subscriber 16. The subscriber 16maintains a relationship with the server 12. For example, the server 12may be thought of as serving or presenting a face 16 of a web presence.After all, the subscriber 16 owns a venue, hosts patrons 18, and servesup content on a website available through the subscriber 16 to patrons18 in the general public.

However, the Liiingo™ server 12, and the organization correspondingthereto may act in any or all of three separate capacities. The server12 may actually host the entire content, access, control, and so forthfor a website corresponding to the subscriber 16.

In another alternative embodiment, Liiingo™ server 12 may actually actas a ghost behind the website of a subscriber 16. That website in such acircumstance may then be hosted by the subscriber 16 directly, or onsome third party server. In such a demand, the ghost server 12 insertscertain information into appropriate locations, described hereinbelow ona web page hosted by another server 16 or the like.

In a third embodiment, the Liiingo™ server 12 may act as a broker 12. Itprovides control and access to content served by a streaming service 20that is neither the subscriber 16, nor the Liiingo™ server 12. In anyevent, the Liiingo™ server 12 provides an element of control and accessauthorization for various productive reasons, also describedhereinbelow.

Examples of patrons 18 will typically be guests 18 or visitors 18 to avenue owned by a subscriber 16 to the Liiingo™ server 12. Thus, a patron18 is typically individual, sometimes a group, or the like visiting amuseum, a theme park, a zoological garden, a botanical garden, or thelike. Typically, the patron 18 is moving between exhibits, rides, ordifferent micro venues within the larger venue owned and operated by thesubscriber 16.

The accounts database 14 represents records 15 corresponding tosubscribers 16. As a practical matter, a database 14 may include accountinformation, certain content, and the like corresponding to a subscriber16. However, a particular value to subscriber 16 is demographic data,used data, access information, dwell times, visited pages, and visitedvenues or micro venues corresponding to an individual patron 18.

Such information may typically be saved anonymously, not containing anypersonally identifying information. Nevertheless, demographic data may,by permission, be collected and maintained in the database 14 in orderto inform subscribers 16 regarding the attractiveness, the trafficdensity, and the overall impressions corresponding to patrons 18.

Typical examples of streaming services may be found in current webcontent. For example, an application called JW Player is available, froma company of the same name. It provides hosting and streaming servicesfor large digital content. Amazon Web Services “AWS” is another servicethat also provides online storage and streaming for access by patrons18.

Referring to FIG. 2, additional architectural details are illustratedfor the server 12, database 14, the subscriber 16, and the patron 18, aswell as the servers 20 or services 20. For example, in the database 14,records 15 may include, for example, account records 44 correspond tothe subscriber 16 and identify various relationships, information,indexing, and other useful data in accounting to and accounting for thesubscriber 16. Meanwhile, content records 50 may actually containcontent 50 that will be hosted, ghosted, or the like to a website of thesubscriber 16, by the Liiingo™ server 12.

Meanwhile, analytics data 46 may constitute a collection of informationcorresponding patrons 18 in general and their access to various pages,content, and so forth on the website of the subscribe 16. Other records48 may also be saved for convenience, for value to the subscriber 16, orto better serve patrons 18 quickly. For example, account records 44 aredetailed and specific with respect to subscribers 16, and patrons 18.One may elect to save profiles as other data 48 available exclusively tothe patron 18, or to the server 12. This may better serve the patron 18,and possibly the subscriber 16, in order for the subscriber 16 to betterserve the patron 18 online and at the venue.

Likewise, content records 50 may include not only content, but alsoinformation relating to indexing, identifying, and quickly accessing orrequesting content that ultimately is stored on the servers 20.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS.1 through 13, the Liiingo™ server 12 may include an applicationprogramming interface (API) 38 responsible principally forauthorizations and database interactions. For example, creating records,reading records, updating records, deleting records, and the like fromthe database 14 will be accomplished by the server 12 on behalf of thesubscriber 16 during administrative processes. These may be initiated byvarious patrons 18 during their access to the website 32 of thesubscriber 16.

Of course, other software executables 42 are also hosted on the Liiingo™server 12 in order to accomplish the various administrative functions.These may be programmed in any suitable format and language in order toaccomplish the objectives thereof.

Turning attention to the subscriber 16, the subscriber system 16 mayinclude a website 30. As a practical matter, a website 30 may be assimple as executable code to forward a request for access by a patron 18to another server 12, or the like in order to serve up the website. Inother embodiments, particularly as illustrated herein, the subscriberwebsite 30 may include within it a website 32 that is effectivelyhosted, ghosted, or controlled by the Liiingo™ server 12.

For example, either the subscriber computer 16, or some other thirdparty computer may host a website 30. The Liiingo™ server 12 may hostthe website 30. In one presently contemplated embodiment, theconventional content may be provided for a website 30 by the subscriber16 directly or a third party, while the Liiingo™ server 12 providesembedded web services 32 and controls therefor in order to providemultiple language content.

In general, each of the devices 18 a, 18 b, 18 c, representing users 18a, 18 b, 18 c, may include a browser 56 a, 56 b, 56 c, respectively. Abrowser 56 is typical for any computer device that is network aware. Thesystem 18 a does not include the widget 58 b illustrated in the browser56 b, 56 c of the systems 18 b, 18 c. Rather, the system 18 a hosts anapplication 60 and may include actual branding information 61 that showsin logos, screens, surfed pages, and the like brought up by a patron 18a. By virtue of the application 60, additional features are provideddirectly to the patron 18 a on the device 18 a.

Meanwhile, other functional features, useful to the access of theLiiingo™ server 12 and available in typical “smart phones” 18 mayinclude a GPS software system 62 providing identification of locations,and possibly directions of motion, and the like for a system 18. Ofcourse, a “smart phone” 18 has the functions of a phone 64, and willtypically have SMS messaging 66 associated therewith, and so forth.Meanwhile, other software application 67, such as email, other singlefunction applications from third parties, and the like may typically behosted on the computer underlying the system 18 a.

In considering the widgets 58 embedded within the browsers 56 in theunits, 18 b, 18 c, and the widgets 58 effectively create a widgetwebsite 59 inside the website view 31 served up as the website 30 of thesubscriber 16. The widget website 59, by virtue of the programmingwithin the widget 58 provides a fully functional website 59 thatoperates within the website 31, seamlessly for a patron 18.

In a currently contemplated embodiment, the server 20, such as theservers 20 a, 20 b, 20 c may include media servers 20. In certainembodiments, such as the system 20 c, the server 20 c is configured as acontent delivery network 20 c. Typically, this server 20 c will hostmedia files 52. These are large digital files of audio, video, and thelike. Meanwhile, certain software 54 required to support the serving andstreaming of those media files 52 is hosted and running on a contentdelivery network 20 c.

From the system point of view, the widget websites 59, as well as thewebsite 30 visible through the application 60 on the patron device 18 amay actually be served up as streamed media files 52 directly from aserver 20 to a patron device 18. Thus, by virtue of the embedded natureof the widget website 59 or widget 58 inside the browser 56 orapplication 60 of a user device 18, streamed media files 52 may beseamlessly available immediately, and without separate logins, access,diversion from a favored webpage, or redirecting away from thesubscriber website 30 to which the patron 18 has gained access.

From a patron 18 point of view, the widget website 59 effectively fillsa window on a page website 31. Again, that website 31 may be directlyserved up as the website 30. Nevertheless, by providing the widgetfunctionality 59 windowed in the webpages 31 of the website 30, a patron18 need not diverted, nor required to provide authentications, access,logins, fees, or other justifications in order to immediately access andview the content of the media files 15 to be served to the widgetwebsite 59.

Referring to FIG. 3 specifically, while continuing to refer generally toFIGS. 1 through 13, a relationship chart illustrates the “personas” orrepresentations that may be taken on by the Liiingo™ system 12,subscribers 16, patrons 18, and the servers 20. From the point of viewof a patron device 18 a, 18 b, 18 c, a widget viewer 19 a may beavailable on a device 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the device 18 a may be also thought of asthe person 18 a in possession or control of the device 18 a. Thus, inthis illustration, that person 18 a or device 18 a may be thought of asa viewer 18 a. That viewer 18 a as an individual person 18 a or“persona” having an experience, will be looking at a device 18 a hostingthe mobile application 60. Through that mobile application 60, the humanbeing viewer 18 a will be able to see on the device 18 a only what themobile application 60 provides.

In contrast, the widget viewers or users 18 b, 18 c may be thought of ashuman beings 18 b, 18 c, or the devices 18 b, 18 c associated therewithas viewers 18 b, 18 c hosting a browser 56 that delivers all content,views, and so forth. As a result, the only information available, videoavailable, and so forth will be that content (e.g., media files 52available through the browser 56 to the devices 18 b, 18 c).

An effective limitation therefore arising is that the widget viewers 18b, 18 c can only see what the browser 56 can be scripted to deliver. Incontrast, the viewer 18 a is capable of navigating between experiencesor exhibits, and content much more freely by the use of the mobileapplication 60. Accordingly, the experiences are substantiallydifferent, and the content delivery is substantially greater for themobile application 60 on the device 18 a.

The subscriber 16 will typically operate through a browser 34 on thesystem 16. To a network, any human is that human's device, computer,etc. Accordingly, a human being 16 operating the system 16 or seen asthe system 16 may access the Liiingo™ server 12 in order to administercontent, relationships, and so forth to be provided and controlled bythe Liiingo™ system 12. To that extent, a subscriber 16 may present awebsite 30 having different levels of access, control, and manipulationavailable. This will depend to a certain extent upon the desire forcontrol, versus the desire for outside responsibility and reliability.

The administrator 68 may actually be the subscriber 16, or an employeethereof. In certain embodiments, the administrator “persona” 68 may beidentical to the subscriber 16. However, other architectures andrelationships also exist and many are preferred. For example, theadministrator 68 may actually be a computer 68 and a person 68associated with a third party. Also, for example, a company may ownseveral theme parks, museums, zoos, or other venues. Accordingly, asingle administrator 68 as a third party may operate to manage websiteaccess, content, updating, and so forth. Thus, the administrator 68 isnot necessarily identical to the subscriber 16. Thus, the browser 69 maybe available elsewhere to another administrator 68.

Similarly, the administrator 68 as a “persona” 68 may be offloaded tothe Liiingo™ system 12 according to contract, convenience, or the like.In some respects, the “personas” 16, 68, 70 may be thought of as levelsas permission, capacity, authority, and the like. For example, thesubscriber 16 may administer website content, access, and so forth.However, the administrator 68 may control access by various otheradministrators to the website 30 creation, manipulation, control, and soforth.

In contrast, a super administrator 70 through a browser 71 may actuallybe the Liiingo™ server 12 or employee 70 operating as a superadministrator 70 on the Liiingo™ server 12 in order to totallyadminister the functionality that the Liiingo™ server 12 will provide tothe website 30 of the subscriber 16. Thus, this “persona” 70 effectivelycan control, impersonate, authorize, or otherwise implement anyauthorizations and functions of any other administrator 68, subscribe16, or the like. Referring to FIG. 4, while continuing to refergenerally to FIGS. 1 through 13, a process 74 or method 74 of operationfor the Liiingo™ server 12 may include listening 76 for requests from“clients” in the computer sense of clients being served by a server 12.Upon receiving 78 a request, the server 12 will authenticate 80 bychecking 81 a anyone for a token, which, if valid when tested 81 b, willmove on to checking 81 c for permissions or permission levels,permission topography.

If not valid in response to the test 81 b, then the server 12 will check81 d for credentials, which when tested 81 e will be rejected with anerror 81 f if not valid. If the credentials are valid when tested 81 e,then the server 12 will create 81 g a token which then will be passed tothe check 81 c of permissions. If permissions, when tested 82, areproper, then the process 74 continues to the processing 90 of therequest. If not, then the test 82 results in an error 84 and rejectionof the request.

Processing 90 will typically involve executing 86 a request, if therequest is for operation of an executable instruction 86 or execution86, then, the processing 90 may include creating, reading, updating,deleting, and so forth a record. That record 15 may be any of therecords 44, 46, 48, 50 stored in the database 14. For example, records15 may correspond to particular areas of a venue. Typical exhibits orstops, sometimes referred to hereinabove as micro venues within theoverall venue, and so forth.

Meanwhile, records 15 may correspond to a specific location in thevenue, or content corresponding to any of the foregoing areas, exhibits,locations, and the like. Accordingly, execution 86 may activate thecontrolling software of the database 14 to create, read, update, delete,and so forth records 15, according to the “persona” 12, 16, 18, 68, 70that has sent a request 78 being processed 90.

In certain embodiments, the processing 90 of a request 78 may involverouting 87 to a controller. As a practical matter, the system 10 mayinclude various computation of facilities that are capable of executing86 instructions.

For example, processing 90 may begin with routing 87 a received 78request to the database 14, for creating, reading, updating, deleting,and so forth. By the same token, routing 87 may also sent instructionsto the servers 20 to instead execute 86 by reading content out to anadministrator 68, 70 or subscriber 16. Likewise, information may be readout to any particular patron 18 or patron device 18.

In the illustrated architecture, responding 92 may be thought of asreporting 92 by the API 38 as a result of the processing 90 undertaken.Information 93 reported may include, for example, status 93 a, specificdata 93 b, a message 93 c, a combination thereof, or the like. Forexample, responding 92 may simply include reporting a status ofinformation, a device, or the like as a result of execution of therequest process 90.

It may appropriate to return specific data 92 that has been read duringexecution 86 in order to respond 92 to a request. Similarly, a messagemay be a response 92, such as the errors 81 f, 84, or messagesindicating completion, failure, or content corresponding to the request.The responding 92 effectively applies to access, both regularadministration 68 and super administration 70, as well as access bypatrons 18.

Referring to FIG. 5, a process 100 for interaction 100 between asubscriber 16 or administrator 68 on behalf of a subscriber 16 with theLiiingo™ server 12 is illustrated. For example, the process 100initiates on a user computer 16 launching 101 a browser 34. A uniformresource locator (URL) may be input 102 or otherwise receive 102 by thebrowser 34.

In the illustrated embodiment, after receiving 102 a URL, the browser 34accesses 103 the server 12 at that URL. The Liiingo™ server 12 in acomputer context treats the browser 34 as a client 34 to the server 12.Thus, the server 12 now serves to the “client side web application” ofthe browser 34 the requested material located at the URL. This may be inHTML file of code, instruction, or content, a CSS file, a java script,or the like. By serving 104 this content to the browser 34, theadministrative computer 16 may load 105 a web application onto thecomputer 16.

The server 12 serves a web application to the browser 34 to be run. Thisapplication may be constituted in an HTML file, a CSS file, Java™script, or other suitable language, code, instruction set, or the like.Upon receipt, the computer 16, by way of the browser 34 or otherwise,may load the web application onto the computer 16. Loading 105 may meanvarious mechanisms.

For example, a web App may simply run in the browser 34. This is onecurrently contemplated embodiment that effectively may window a webapplication, generating a website 32 within the website 30, or withinthe browser 34. In other embodiments, loading 105 may simply involveexecuting a script in the browser 34 that engages activities of othersystems.

For example, an administrator 68 or subscriber 16 is most interested ineffecting changes and updates in the information for the content records50 stored in the database 15 or streamed from the servers 20. Incontrast, an individual patron 18 is more interested in accessing thewebsite 30 of the subscriber 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the loading 105 of web app, or the webApp 105 loaded 105 will typically provide the screens, menus, dialogboxes, forms, and the like assisting a subscriber 16 or otheradministrator 68 in creating, reading, updating, and deleting contentrecords 50 or other records 15, such as account data 44, or analyticsdata 46 stored in the server 14.

To this end, a request 106 may be sent from the subscriber 16 to the API38 on the Liiingo™ server 12. That request 106 may be, for example, alogin, a new access requiring a token or requesting a token, retrievalof content for review, saving content that has been edited, or deletingcontent. It may be the general create, read, update, and deletefunctionality desired by the subscriber 16 with respect to any data 15stored in the database 14. Data may simply be pointed to or directed toby data 15 in the database 14, or by the Liiingo™ server 12. This mayspecifically refer to media files 52 that are typically not hosted inthe database 14, nor on the server 12, but rather served up by thirdparty servers 20 able to stream such large digital data files.

In response to the request 106, the server 12 will process 107 therequest 106, and respond 108. Typically, this simply involves theexecution 86 of the instruction, or other processing 90 as describedimmediately hereinabove. Action 109 by an application 35 operating inthe browser 34, or otherwise on the subscriber system 16 may involve anyother activity that is required.

For example, administrative work occurs in finances, management,personnel, and so forth. As a practical matter, a system 10 is focusedprimarily on the maintenance on content and the access thereto bypatrons 18. To that end, the subscriber 16 may execute actionsprogrammed into the application 35 for any of the foregoing purposes orothers. A test 110 simply determines whether more activity is toproceed, which would result in the request 106, processing 107, andresponding 108 a, 108 b. When the test 110 determines that no furtheractions are required, then the system 16 may log off 111 from the server12.

Referring to FIG. 6, a process 120 for interaction between a patron 18and the Liiingo™ server 12 may first test 121 for the access mode. Forexample, if a store purchase is required for an application (APP) thenaccess 122 to an App store such as the iTunes store, Apple App store,Google play store, Kindle store, or an Android store, or the like mayprovide access to various applications that are programmed to run onmobile devices 18. After executing 123 a purchase agreement, orpurchasing 123, an application 60, the system 18 will download 124 theapplication 60, and install 125 the application to run on the device 18.At that point, API requests 126 may be made

If, on the other hand, an access mode is by scanning 127, or some otherinput, then an application 60 might not be available, or may already beloaded. For example, the accessing 122 may imply preparation in advanceto visit a venue. Accordingly, the accessing 122 may be completed inresponse to an interaction of a patron 18 with a website 30 of asubscriber 16. On the other hand, a user 18 may have already loaded byaccessing 122, purchasing 123, downloading 124, and installing 125, anapplication 60 in advance that is more generic or generally applicableto multiple venues.

Thus, by scanning 127, as an access mode 127, the scanning 127 may bedone by an application 60 that is already loaded on a patron device 18,or may be simply accessing with a typical QR code by a scanningapplication. Some third party or other party code may simply provideinformation.

By whatever mode, scanning 127 may be done onsite at a venue operated bya subscriber 16. Accordingly, the process 120 can usually (but need not)be certain that it was not a desktop computer, but rather a mobiledevice 18 that scanned 127 the code of interest.

From that code, a URL will be provided which may then be read 128 fromthe scanning 127, resulting in launching 129 a browser 56 on a patrondevice 18. The browser 56 a will typically launch 129 and immediatelytry to access 130 a URL, upon having read 128 that URL.

At this point, the process 120 will look for an application flag.Accordingly, the test 131 determines whether an application flag isavailable on the patron device 18. For example, if a patron 18 alreadyhas an application 60 loaded, corresponding to the system 10, then theApp flag test 131 results in continuing immediately to requesting 126from the API 38 some functionality.

If no App flag results or is detected in the test 131, then the process120 must return to the other branch of the process 120 to access 122,purchase 123, download 124, and install 125 the application 60. Byeither mode, a patron 18 arrives at the ability to submit an API request126 to the API 38.

At this point, it may be well to refer back to the relationships of thevarious “personas” described with respect to FIG. 3, and referring tothe entities and devices of FIGS. 1 and 2. Effectively, a patron 18, byany mode on any computer, can, through a browser 56 access a website 30corresponding to a subscriber 16. However, to obtain the enhancedbenefits provided by the Liiingo™ server 12, a patron 18 is effectivelyalways directed to obtain and load the application 60.

Thus, one may think of the left side branch described immediatelyhereinabove in the process 120 as pertaining to the patrons 18 b, 18 cof FIG. 2. In contrast, the right hand branch of the process 120described immediately hereinabove pertains to the patrons 18 a and thepatrons 18 b, 18 c, but will direct the patron 18 a with an App 60already loaded immediate to API requesting 126.

In contrast, either of the patrons 18 b, 18 c passing through either theright or left branches of the initial process 120 will be directed toaccess 122, purchase 123, download 124, and load 125 the application 60in order to obtain the benefits of the Liiingo™ server 12.

Now, what are some benefits of the Liiingo™ server 12? In a nutshell,prior art systems are programmed in a suitable language, such as HTML(hypertext markup language) to execute on browsers 34, 56 on variouscomputers. Necessarily, programming is complex, and adapting todiffering circumstances is difficult.

For example, the term translation is often used for language. Theconcept of “localization” is often used with respect to not justlanguage, but dialect, within a language, as well as cultural awareness.Also, for example, certain words may be completely correct, but notcommonly used, and therefore not well understood. An immediatedifference noted in the English language is the difference between theuse of the English language in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada,and the United States. Specific terms, specific expressions, and thelike may be appropriate in certain circumstances, and offensive inothers, typically based upon the localized customs, and vocabulary.

Likewise, American Sign Language is a language. Similarly, sightedpersons 18 or patrons 18 may watch video. Unsighted persons 18 orpatrons 18 may be limited to audio, and local braille signage. Providingtranslations in languages other than a single local language is not wellnor easily done by most websites. For example, one may look online atmajor worldwide organizations, and find that their websites are not asingle website, but an entirely separate website and URL for eachlanguage provided.

In a system 10 in accordance with the invention, languages may bechanged and served up by the Liiingo™ server 12 by way of virtual orembedded Liiingo™ websites 32 on the website 30 of a subscriber 16, oron widgets 58 within browsers 56 on multiple devices 18 b, 18 c, or byapplications 60 hosted on patron devices 18 a. Thus, what is provided isnot a different website 30, but a website 32 within a website 30, whichembedded website 32 is served up by the Liiingo™ server 12, directly.

Upon submitting an API request 126, the patron 18 waits for processing132 of that request 126 by the server 12. That processing 132 includesauthentication of the access or right of access of the patron 18.Typically, at this step 132, authentication 80 may simply that asdescribed with respect to FIG. 4. The Liiingo™ server 12 then responds133 as described hereinabove with respect to the subscriber 16 oradministrator 68, but with an entirely set of permissions.

For example, the Liiingo™ server 12 may send 134 a content identifier,such as a URL, to the application 60 on the patron 18 a. In analternative embodiment, the Liiingo™ server 12 may send 134 a script tothe widget 58 on the browser 56 b, 56 c of the patron 18 b, 18 c. Thatscript, may then be executed by another computer, such as one of theservers 20 to provide in the widget website 59 inside the website 31 thecontent requested.

As a practical matter, the process 120 is effectively an interactionbetween a patron 18 and the Liiingo™ server 12. The upper portion ofthat process 120 have effectively guided the patron 18 into thecondition of having a loaded application 60 on the patron 18. Thus,typical embodiments will all send 134 the content identified back to theapplication 60 running on the patron 18.

Accordingly, the patron device 18 will then change 135 the view theapplication 60 is presenting on the screen 19 of the patron device 18.Typically, that changing 135 also embodies downloading 136 contentcorresponding to the given URL served by the servers 20. That contentmay continue to play, or otherwise be displayed on the screen 19 of thepatron 18.

As an individual moves to a new exhibit, the test 137 of what is nextmay basically move back to the new API request 126 in the process 120.If, instead, the patron device 18 moves to a location that provides fora new scan, then the next test 137 returns the user 18 back to scanning127 a code, and the right side of the upper portion of the process 120.

Again, at this run through the steps 127 through 131, the applicationflag should be set to indicate that the application 60 is running on thepatron 18, and thus quickly and immediately return to an API request 126in accordance with the new scan 127. When done, the patron 18 may logout 138 and close the application 60 or move elsewhere.

Referring to FIG. 7, a patron 18 or user interaction 140 is illustratedas a process 140 for operation through a widget 58 hosted on a browser56 on a mobile device 18 or patron 18 that is not equipped with theapplication 60. This may result when an individual does not have theapplication 60 otherwise available, or has elected not to download 124the application 60 when invited during the process 120.

For example, the patron 18 c illustrated in FIG. 2 refers to a desktop,typically a fixed patron 18 or fixed patron device 18. An individualoperating such a patron device 18 c may not even be at the venuecorresponding to a subscriber 16, but may be at home or elsewhere.

A user 18 operating on a patron device 18 b, 18 c may launch 141 abrowser 56 b, 56 c, respectively, and input 142, or otherwise provide142 a URL. The browser 56 will then navigate 143 or otherwise “go to” awebsite 30 of a subscriber 16. In the illustrated embodiment, going tothat website may typically load and trigger a script written to delivercontent from the servers 20 directly to the patron device 18 b, 18 c.

In this embodiment, the script 150 makes 144 a request through the API38 on the Liiingo™ server 12. That is, the script has embedded 145therein, in advance, a URL and is executable to make 144 the request ofthe API 38.

By “executable” is meant code containing programming languageinstructions effective to instruct a computer to conduct some computeroperation. The script 150, rather than executing on the patron device18, or on the subscriber device 16, through the website 30, is effectiveto communicate with and instruct the server 12. The server 12, in turn,then conducts the requirements to authorize and to authorize access bythe patron 18 b, 18 c and to instruct the server 20 to deliver to thepatron 18 the requested content.

After the script 150 makes 144 the API request to the Liiingo™ server12, delivering the embedded URL 145 contained in the script 150, theLiiingo™ server 12 conducts a reverse authentication process 146. Thereverse authentication process greatly simplifies access, while greatlyimproving security seamlessly to a patron 18.

For example, a user 18 or patron 18 does not have to navigate away tosome other service or website. Rather, the patron 18 has a seamlessdelivery of content in a language or other context suitable and desired.Otherwise, the subscriber 16 would have to set up different websites andmaintain duplicate efforts to build and support them as done in priorart systems.

Alternatively, the user 18 or patron 18 would have to navigate away toother sites in order to obtain translations. The state of machinetranslation is not particularly well adapted to transitory users 18. Forexample, Google translator provides a form of translation, somewhatcloser to transliteration that will typically require clean up by a user18. However, it is not able to reliably and precisely translate wordsand phrases from one language to another. Likewise, there is no systemknown to the inventor's at this point that provides accurate nor precisetranslation from voice to voice in multiple languages nor that providesany mechanism to achieve it.

Multiple websites would have to be accessed in order to provide a voiceto language transcription, another application would have to be engagedto conduct a translation between a first language and a second language,and then a reader application would have to read in the second languagethe text to which something has been translated. This is totallyineffective. Not only does such a system not exist, the systems that doexist to do any one step are not compatible, and do not have interfacesfor each other.

The amount of information lost in translation makes the output literallylaughable in its inaccuracy. Thus, the resources are not available to apatron 18 by any mechanism to obtain a translation of material providedon a website 30 by a subscriber 16. The ability to host multiplelanguage content and still maintain substantially the same webpages on awebsite 30 by a subscriber 16 is also not available.

Using a widget 58 or the application 60, the Liiingo™ server 12 mayserve up the embedded website 59 inside a website 31 on a patron device18 with the language translation content properly done by any meansdesired, whether machine, human, or machine aided human, or human editedmachine translation. Thus, the seamlessness desired for a patron 18 isprovided, while the simplicity of maintenance and administration issimplified for the subscriber 16.

Meanwhile, a minimum amount of data, a minimum amount of service servingserver software for serving up the website 34, and other efficienciesimmediately accrue. Moreover, all the supporting software for thesupport of the website 30 is the same for a single website for a singlesubscriber 16, without having to host multiple websites. Thisefficiency, of software and data storage, combined with a seamlessexperience of the patron 18, provides numerous advantages to the presentarchitecture over prior art systems available.

The Liiingo™ server 12 is responsible to maintain security of access tothe database 14 and the servers 20. Unauthorized access is to beavoided, but frequent logins, passwords, and the like impose the entirepanoply of website registration or point of sale registration, and thelike on a user 18. Here, the burden on security is shifted away from thepatron 18 and is embedded in the processes of the Liiingo™ server 12.The access experience of the patron 18 controls the content available onthe database 14, servers 20. Both occur by way of the website 30ostensibly provided by the subscriber 16. The experience may becompletely seamless with not even a single login, by use of a reverseauthentication process 146 within the interaction 140. The details ofthe step 146 are illustrated in FIG. 8. Once authentication 146 hasoccurred, then the patron device 18 renders 147 the output received inresponse to the script 150 provide the embedded URL 145 through theaccess 143 and request 144.

Referring to FIG. 8, one embodiment of an authentication 146 may includea process 148, the authorization process 148 begins with embedding 149of a script 150 involves the embedding a Liiingo™ server 12 script 150into the subscriber website 30 of a subscriber 16. When the patron 18accesses the website 30, and renders it on a screen 19 of a patrondevice 18, the script 150 automatically instructs the Liiingo™ server 12to execute that script 150.

At that point, the subscriber 16 has continually updated 151 content andURL's on the server hosting the website 30. When a patron 18 accesses awebpage on the website 30, the script 150 automatically runs on theLiiingo™ server 12. It provides an external check and effectivelyinstructs the Liiingo™ server 12 to download the widget 58 to thebrowser 56 of the patron 18.

The widget 58, then immediately instructs the browser 56 or causes thebrowser 56 of the patron 18 to send an API request with the embedded URL145 to the Liiingo™ server 12. Thus, ongoing updating 152 is conductedby the subscriber 16, by whatever administrator 68, and accessing 152 bythe patron 18. The website 30 effectively runs 153 the script 150,sending 154 the embedded URL 145 to the Liiingo™ server 12.

Upon embedding 149 of a script 150 in the website 130, the continualupdating 151 continues until access 152 by a patron 18 to the website 30of the subscriber 16. Upon access 152, the script 150 embedded isimmediately run sending 154 a request to the Liiingo™ server 12. TheLiiingo™ server 12 then serves 156 back to the patron 18 a widget 58that is then embedded within the browser 56.

The patron 18 then loads and runs the widget 58 creating a widgetwebsite 59 within the website 31 viewed by the browser 56 of the device18. The widget 58 at this point makes 158 an API request on the Liiingo™server 12. The Liiingo™ server 12, then receives 159 and reads 160 notonly the API request received, but the URL 145 embedded in the script150 initially.

The Liiingo™ server 12 then queries 161 the data base 15, specificallylooking at account records 44, to find that particular URL in a URLfield in an account record 44. If that URL 145 is found in the accountrecord 144, it will identify an actual URL location on the website 30,or in the Liiingo™ server 12, and often in a server 20. Finding the URL,which is itself a very long string of characters, thereby serves as acryptographic key or code or password. It is not guessed at a reasonabletime by any reasonable amount of computation, and is originated with thesubscriber 16. Possessed by the patron 18, it provides a secure,recognized password.

Now, if the URL 145 is not found, an error 163 is reported. If the URLis found, then the patron 18 has been validated or authenticated byvirtue of information that has been passed to it immediately anddirectly by the subscriber 16, and clearly indicates authorization.Thus, the results found at the URL 145 are then returned 164 by theappropriate server 20, or alternatively a server 12, 14, 16.

Typically, secure access to the remote servers 20 is well implementedwithout redirecting or relogging by a patron 18. By the automatedserving 156 of the widget 58, and the automatic embedding 149 of the URL145 as well as the seamless embedding of the script 150, the patrondevice 18 exercises control it otherwise could not have without complexand repeated logon activity to access the various servers 12, 14, 16,20. However, by a system and method 146 in accordance with theinvention, that access is provided seamlessly and powerfully to thepatron 18.

Referring to FIG. 9 and FIGS. 1 through 13 generally, correspondingmedia files may include information corresponding the media files 52 tosubscribers 16. Indexing, names, contact information, passwords, rulesfor distribution, and so forth may all be included in accountinginformation 171. The typical content 170 of most interest is filescontaining text 172, images 173 such as stills 173, audio 174, video175, and the like. Other information 176 may also be stored.

One principal value of a content delivery network 20 c is the facilityfor storing and serving large amounts of digital content (172 through175) desired by a patron 18. It is impractical to store, manage, orserve such on a comparatively small subscriber system 16. Even adatabase server 14 is often not well adapted to including the mediafiles 52 and binary large objects (BLOBS) in the data 15 stored in thedatabase 14.

Referring to FIG. 10, account records may include information regardinga subscriber 16. That may include the name of an entity 16 correspondingto a computer system various contact information, from phone numbers andaddresses to emails, skype phone numbers, Facebook or other social mediacontact addresses, and the like of particular importance may also beindexing corresponding certain information to other information.

For example, files, keywords, and the like may all be used in indexingto find media files 52 corresponding to subscribers 16, to venues or thelike. In addition, account records may also include permissions,including codes, name lists, and the like. Account records may alsoinclude rules to be implemented by a server 16, a server 12, or a server20 responsible to deliver content, interactions, information, codes,URL's 145, or the like to an administrator 68 or other responsibleperson corresponding to a subscriber 16.

Likewise, information corresponding to executing scripts 150,information to be used, processed, or delivered thereby, and the likemay all be included in account records. Whether an account is active,inactive, paid up, out of date, cancelled, in arrears, or the like maybe reflected in status information provided thereby. Similarly,likewise, subscription information may also be included. This mayinclude, for example, services being provided by the Liiingo™ server 12,the media servers 20, or the database 14.

For example, depending on size, choices made for business reasons, orneed for such, subscription information may include certain rights,certain services, levels of service, and the like. Just as permissionsmay limit individuals having access or organizations having access toinformation, a subscription may include terms of service and whatservices are provide and thereby available to a subscriber 16, orpatrons 18 accessing a subscriber 16.

Referring to FIGS. 11 through 13, and more particularly FIG. 11, whilecontinuing to refer generally to FIGS. 1 through 13, a process 180 isillustrated. The process 180 includes a triggering 182, which may occurby one of several modes. Thereafter, a test 184 determines whether ornot an application has already been installed in the device 18 of a user18. If not, then the process 180 directs the user 18 and user device 18to an installation process 188.

If the application is determined to be installed when tested 184, then avalidation 186 of the location of a user 18 occurs. As a practicalmatter, the installation process 188 effectively downloads anapplication and selects a language preference based on a user input orby detecting on a user device 18 a previous language use or languagepreference in the setup data for that device 18.

Also, if undetectable, or if a desired change is requested, a user 18may be provided a dialogue box in which to select a language preference.

Meanwhile, a triggering 182 if resulted from an online viewer activatingan alternate language option, such as by clicking or otherwise selectinga particular language preference, then the process 180 may proceeddirectly from the triggering 182 to a test 189. The test 189 isresponsible to validate a location.

If the location is valid for the use of the content, then the test 189may proceed directly to the validation 186 of the location. If, on theother hand, no location sensitivity has been programmed into the system180, then the test 189 may simply divert directly to the determination190 of the variables to be loaded. More detail will be included insubsequent figures and their descriptions. After determination 190 ofthe variables, the process 180 may proceed to delivery 192 of thecontent.

In the process 180, the triggering event 193 or the specific trigger 193may result when an online viewer activates an alternative languageoption. On the other hand, an alternative triggering 194 may involve aviewer 18 (patron 18, user 18) who is positioned at some location, suchas on the premises of a museum, theme park, zoo, or the like. At thatlocation, a sign, display, label, kiosk, or the like may contain a code,such as a QR code or a barcode. This code may indicate something aboutthat location, such as the exhibit.

Accordingly, this triggering 194 may occur on a first visit, such aswhere a patron 18 has arrived at a venue for the first time, and has notloaded any application. Thus, proceeding from the triggering 194 to thetest 184 determines whether this new venue for a new patron 18 iscompletely without preparation, or may have already occurred subsequentto installing an application specific to that venue of the portabledevice of the user 18 or patron 18.

Another triggering 195 may occur when a user 18 (viewer 18, patron 18)possesses a portable device that is already loaded or has alreadyinstalled an application corresponding to the venue. In such an event,the venue may contain beacons. Thus, a patron 18 or user 18 entering abeacon area may receive a radio frequency signal directly to theportable device, which then triggers 195, as a result the applicationoperating, resulting in the process 180 proceeding directly todetermining 190 the operational variables.

The test 184 is responsible to determine whether an applicationcorresponding to a specific venue or usable at a specific venue, hasalready been installed on an otherwise unknown device that haspreviously triggered 194 based on scanning a location-specific code. Tothat end, if the test 184 results in a positive response, meaning thatan application has already been installed, then the process 180 may moveon to determine more information about the location of the user's 18device.

For example, a display at a venue (museum room, museum exhibit, etc.; azoo exhibit or animal enclosure, etc.) may be “fenced” by establishing aregion within geographical boundaries identifiable by a globalpositioning system (GPS). A GPS in a modern smart device, such as asmartphone, may determine within a comparatively close accuracy (forexample, about one to two meters) exactly where that device is located.

Accordingly, a venue may effectively fence an area by identifying aboundary or outer corners, from which an analysis in the validationprocess 186 or validation step 186 may analyze whether or not the deviceis within the bounds of the GPS extreme core bounding points. Thisgeometric calculation may be based on Cartesian geometry coordinates orthe like in order to establish various regions of a venue.

Meanwhile, in a various map applications exist in the world, and manyproprietary systems are available. For example, companies such asGoogle™, Apple™ MapQuest™, and others provide map applications that maybe hosted on or accessed by user-owned, network-aware, computer devices,including mobile smartphones, tablets, iPods, and so forth. Accordingly,the validation may involve a calculation of the position bytriangulation from GPS systems and then an analysis of where thelocation of the user device 18 is with respect to the extrema (bounding,defining, outermost points) for a particular exhibit at a particularvenue.

In certain embodiments, a server 12 may receive location data indicatingphysical location of a user 18. In other examples, the server 12 maydetermine a URL or receive a URL as part of data contained in the codeoriginating at the triggering 182, such as the triggering event 194. Iffencing or location-sensitive controls are used, and if the GPScoordinates of the user device 18 are within the acceptable bounds,typically meaning within the boundaries of the venue proper, and withinthe bounds of a particular exhibit, either of which may be or both ofwhich may be controlling parameters, then the location is deemedacceptable to proceed. If not, then a notification to a user device 18and an end to the process 180 may occur.

Thus, if the location is acceptable, the determination step 190 mayfollow the validation step 186. In that regard, before moving on, itshould be noted that the test 189 determines whether a locationvalidation is required. In some cases, no location validation 186 isnecessary, required, or useful. However, location within a venue may betested 189 in order to verify proper ticketing and payment.

Likewise, proximity to or proximity within a viewing area of aparticular exhibit at a venue may also be useful in determining whatinformation will be delivered 192 a user 18. Thus, location informationmay be used for verifying authorization and ticketing, but may alsoserve as a tour guide stimulus to identify the proper presentation orthe proper information to be delivered 192 as content from a user device18.

Determining 190 the operational variables may involve the server 12accessing various files or device settings on a user device 18. Thetypical, modern, smartphone and basically any computing device will havecertain settings that are provided with values (numbers, decisions,preferences, choices, etc.) indicating how, where, when, and so forthcertain information is presented to a user 18. These device settings maybe available for reading out to the server 12. If available, they mayindicate language choices set up on the smart device. They may therebyprovide a transparent mechanism by which to determine a languagepreference or set up information for a user 18.

On the other hand, if they are unavailable or unclear, the server 12 mayprovide a dialogue box on the Applicant's device 18 in which the user isrequested to select an available language or other option. For example,not only language, but detail, the educational or intellectual level ofthe viewer 18, or the like may be selected.

Also, for example, an adult with substantial information may choose anexpert level of information to be presented by the content delivery 192.A child may more appropriately hear only a more basic and rudimentaryexplanation. Thus, just as the language materials may be prepared andpresented as the content delivery 192, levels of detail and previouspreparation may also be determined in the determination 190. Once theseoptions have been selected, detected, or otherwise provided to theserver 12, they may be stored to be accessed by the server 12 at anyappropriate time before serving up any particular content to bedelivered 192.

In certain embodiments, a server 12 may read settings on mobile device18. Meanwhile, user profile may have a language preference. Likewise,certain subscriber controls for subscribers who have an applicationhosted on the mobile device may have languages available. Finally, auser 18 may simply make a selection based on presentation of options andpressing buttons to select one thereof. FIG. 4 also provides additionalinformation on the determination of variables. Likewise, the validationprocess 186 is also fleshed out somewhat in FIG. 4. By the same token,the installation process 188 is further clarified in FIG. 6, andparticularly in items 122 through 125.

Delivery 192 by the server 12 requires retrieval of the appropriateinformation based on the determination 190 of the operational variables,such as language, skill level or vocabulary level, and age level, or thelike. The server 12 then serves 192 or delivers 192 the contentassociated with the specific identifier associated with the triggeringevent 182 that gave rise to the process 180. That identifier may be aURL. Accordingly, whether an alternative language option identifier, acode such as a QR core or other code, or a beacon identifier, mayindicate content, while the determination 190 will decide the languagedeterminant.

For example, FIG. 7 identifies additional rendering 147. FIG. 8identifies the step 164 as well as the change 135 of views and theloading 136 in FIG. 6.

At any and all times, as authorized by a user 18, the server 12 maystore and collect demographic data that is non identifying, or that isspecifically identifying of a user 18. Thus, an individual user 18 maychoose to be tracked, with languages, content, dates, times, and otherclient use data that will be useful in the future to the system 10 inserving that particular user device 18.

On the other hand, data may be collected strictly anonymously, in orderto determine numbers, broad demographic patterns of use and access to avenue, and so forth. Thus, the venue may tailor its content, offerings,and the like according to how many patrons 18, of what characteristics,have used or desired to use certain content and services for exhibits.

Likewise, a subscriber 16 may select what languages will be availableand how they will be ordered on a dialogue box or menu. Meanwhile, thesubscriber 16 also determines the nature of the content delivered 192.This may include video content, audio content, text, images, labeling,notices, and so forth.

Meanwhile, a user 18 by preferences determined from demographicsspecific of an individual or by choices such as the determination 190and so forth, exactly what information will be presented, and in whatformat. For example, a child may prefer an image and an audiopresentation, an adult may prefer brief text as being a more readily andrapidly available.

Referring to FIG. 12, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS. 1through 13, a trigger event 182 or a triggering 182 instigated by apatron 18 at a particular location. A patron 18 triggers 194 by scanning194 a code, such as a QR code, barcode, other graphical code, or othernumerical code. Upon the triggering 194 or the execution 194 of atriggering event 194, an assessment 196 evaluates the code.

For example, a user device 18 effectively deciphers the data content ofthe code, which will typically in a system 10 in accordance with theinvention, include an identifier. That identifier may be a uniformresources locator (URL) associated with the code that was read. Next, avalidation 197 is conducted by the server 12 which has been deliveredthe decipher information from the code by the reader device 18.

The information that may best and perhaps and most easily be used fromthat code is the URL embedded within the data presented by the code.Once the server 12 receives the identifier or URL, it conducts ananalysis to determine whether the source of an API request was from itsdesignated application on the user device 18.

If so, in a test 184 makes the determination and the presence of the Appforwards the process 180 to the validation 186. If the App is notpresent, then the test 184 sends the device 18 or directs the device 18to the installation step 188. If installation 201 is required, then theassessment step 201 includes the server 12 assessing the operatingsystem of the user device 18 that has filed the API request or transmitthe API request and the code (URL, identifier content, etc.) andredirects the device 18 to a location that will download theapplication.

This may be an “App store” such as exists in an online environment suchas Amazon™ or Apple™. The server may download certain information fromthe device 18 in order to determine its operating system, and therebydetermine appropriate App store would be. At this point, the server 12may save other data associated with the scan. In this way, the server 12may keep track of the user device 18 and cooperate with itappropriately.

Typically, an App store will download 202 to a device 18 an applicationrequested. Accordingly, the application will be made available in theevent that the application is already present, then the download 202 maysimply devolve down to opening the application on the device 18 thatmade the request. Accordingly, installation 203 provides access by theuser may then receive a confirmation 204 that the application has beeninstalled.

Thereafter, an authorization request will come from the server 12 to thedevice 18 in order to request access by the server 12 to the devicesettings and the GPS location (information, GPS detection system, etc.)in order to permit the server 12 to obtain the necessary data. Theauthorization step 206 may include providing an option for the patron 18or user 18 to select certain permissions or to grant all requests andpermissions to the server 12 in order to make the installation and setupprocesses more transparent or to some extent more opaque and otherwiseless burdensome or intrusive on the user 18.

Accordingly, the user 18 authorizes 206 the request 205 or an answer orresponse to the request 205 for authorization. The user 18 may selectoptions in order to grant the necessary permissions.

Thereafter, the server 12 assesses 207 preferences and other informationthat may provide demographic information, personalized interfaceinformation, such as language, detail level, age or experience range, orthe like in order to provide to the user 18 through the device 18 thelanguage, literally, as well as the vocabulary and details at the leveldesired by the user 18.

The server 12 may default to a particular language corresponding to theGPS directions or location of the device 18. In this way, a user 18 neednot select a language, but may use the local default. Meanwhile, a menumay be presented by the assessment step 207 in order to allow a user 18to make a specific selection, input a selection, or approve a defaultselection. Of course, if no selection is made, then the default will beselected.

The retrieval 208 is responsible to retrieve a deep link correspondingto the user device 18. That deep link corresponds to the QR code, andmay be used in the test 210 to determine whether a deep link to aprevious scan has been retrieved. This may simplify the steps.

For example, if a deep link to a previous scan has been retrieved, thenthe test 210 may advance to the validation step 186 beginning with anyvalidation assessment 211. Otherwise, if no deep link to a previous scanretrieved is identified, then the negative response to the test 210returns to process 180 to the trigger event 182, and specifically to thetriggering 194.

The test 210, if the deep link is retrieved may advance directly to thevalidation assessment 211. In this step 211, the server assess if alocation validation is required in order to deliver content. Again,location may be important in determining exactly what the content is. Itmay also be used as an authorization filter in order to detectunauthorized access, or inappropriate access. As described hereinabove,an area may be fenced in order to assure authorization by payment,ticketing, or the like.

Meanwhile, the association of content with a particular exhibit at avenue may also be done “geographically” as the server assesses what thelocation validation requirements may be before delivering content to adevice 18. Accordingly, the process 180 within the sub process 186 orstep 186 they move to the test 212 determining whether a locationvalidation is required. If not, then the step 186 is complete and theprocess 180 may simply step forward to the determination step 190 andthe language preference retrieval 218.

On the other hand, if location validation is required, then the locationassessment 213 may include the application loaded on the device 18accessing the application programming interface (API) on the device 18,in order to access the GPS system and determine the physical locationand coordinates for the device 18.

In certain circumstances, ongoing validation may be required forcontinued access to content. In addition, other options may be availablesuch as cell tower triangulation, signal strength measurement, certainfixed internet protocol (IP) addresses, and the like. Those IP addressesmay be permanent addresses associated with the venue, temporarilyassigned addresses within a session opened by the device 18, or thelike.

If the GPS system within the device 18 is inactive or otherwise notavailable, the application may display notifications to a user 18 that aGPS system is required in order to access content. At this point, thesystem 10 may provide a dialog box, menu, or the like in order for auser 18 to activate the GPS system within the device 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the validation 214 may involve the server12 assessing whether a device 18 is within an approved physical area.Physical area, as discussed herewithin may be based on a contentdelivery appropriateness, or a permission or payment due by a patron 18at a venue. As a practical consideration, a venue may be a propertyhaving security, admission price, or other restriction on access to thevenue itself. In such an event, enforcement of access controls may beimplemented based on whether a patron 18 is within the physical confinesof the venue. Accordingly, lacking proper security, payment, or thelike, an individual who is not a patron 18 and is not onsite at thevenue may be prohibited or prevented accessing electronicallyinformation that might otherwise be apparent on a WiFi system, or otherbroadcast mechanism.

Similarly, one benefit for a system and method in accordance with theinvention is the ability to provide highly targeted locations within avenue and correspondent those highly targeted locations withinformation, audio, video, or the like on a user device 18 at theappropriate time at the specific targeted location. To that end,information may be limited as to the physical location from which it maybe accessed. In either event, the validation 214 may be required. Thus,the server 12 determines whether the user device 18 is within theapproved, appropriate, or other limitation of a physical area in orderto obtain access to content.

The test 215 determines whether the location reported by the user device18, and calculated by the validation 214. In other words, the step 214may be considered a calculation 214 of the position of a user 18 withinthe bounds of a venue. It not, then the test 215 directs the process 186to a notice 216 or error 216. That is, typically, a server 12 will notoperate to deliver content if the test 215 reports a negative result.The server 12 determines that the device is not within the approvedphysical area, and therefore refuses to access content. Typically, theynotification 216 or error 216 may beneficially include not just a shutdown or lack of access, but some notification as to the nature of thatrefusal. Typically, the user device 18 will display a message for theuser 18.

On the other hand, if the test 215 returns a positive result, then theapproval 217 may be conducted by the server 12. The server 12 determinesthat the device 18 is within the approved physical area, and thusapproves 217 the delivery of content. That approval 217 advances theprocess 180 to the step 190 determining 190 the language preference. Inother words, the server 12 will retrieve 218 the language preferencethat has been obtained from pervious entry of that information by theuser 18, or has been retrieved from the setting on the user device 18.

Accordingly, the server 12 will then store 219 that preferenceinformation associating with that user 18 in the database 14 or in afile elsewhere this language preference information.

Thereafter, the content may be delivered in a step 192 in which delivery192 is accomplished by retrieving 221, by the server 12, the contentassociated by the specific trigger event 182 (e.g., 194, 195) that gaverise to the request. Again, the application may then assemble 222 anddisplay the content identified by the server 12 and delivered to thedevice 18. Information proper for assembly 222 may be delivered to thedevice 18, or simply assembled by the server 12 and the displayinformation forwarded or communicated to the user device 18. At thispoint, assembly of the related content may then be presented, and mayinclude a menu for selection of particular portions thereof by a user18.

Ultimately, the user 18 at the location appropriate to the informationmay then navigate 223. Navigation 223 may involve navigating thecontent, and also navigating two other locations at the display, ornavigating away therefrom.

As a practical matter, tracking 224 by the server 12 may includetracking of triggering events 182, language preferences saved 219,viewer demographics, and the like. This information may be anonymous,indicating that it contains no identifying information corresponding tothe user 18, or may, with permission from the user 18, contain useridentifiable information in order to operate as a cookie or the like orto operate within a cookie in order to deliver more promptly and easilycontent previously useful to service of that user 18.

Referring to FIG. 13, a process 180 may be embodied slightly differentlybased on the triggering 182 originating from a different type of triggerevent 193. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the triggering182 or triggering event 193 occurs when an online viewer activates analternate language option or requests a different language. This may bedone, for example, by clicking on an option, by typing in a word, byproviding a code or designation such as an age, or the like. Thus, thetriggering event 193 is effective to identify the need expressed by auser 18, viewer 18, patron 18, or the like at a menu in identifying anyparticular language needs.

Again, it should be noted that language or presentation format mayinvolve a specific, recognized, national or ethnic language, or anage-appropriate or attention-span-appropriate choice of vocabulary,length, or details of information. This may affect delivered audio,video, text, and the like. Thus, one who speaks Chinese may indicateChinese as a choice of language. A parent having a six year old childmay set a preference for a six year old's vocabulary in English. Thus,the triggering event 193 may provide information by any reasonable code,indicator, or data that may useful in determining the specificpresentation language.

In assessment 231 results when a user device 18 activates a uniformresource locator (URL) associated with an alternate language option.That is, as a result of the triggering 193 in step 182, the result ofidentifying a designated language is to effectively redirect the userdevice 18 to a URL at which the content in the appropriate language willbe found.

Thus, the server 12 next receives 232 the session variables for thissession. Among that information is the URL associated with the alternatelanguage option as well as an identifier or ID corresponding to thatalternate language option.

Initially, a validation process 186 may assess 233 whether a validationof the patron 18 location is a prerequisite required before delivery ofcontent. This requirement may be associated with a geographicalboundary, such as the perimeter of a venue (e.g., museum, theme park,zoo, outdoor museum, etc.). If a user 18 has not paid an entry feerequired to enter the venue, and is thus nearby (within electronictransmission range) but not within the boundary, then authorization maybe required. Those outside the boundary would be denied as causing alocation error. Similarly, geographical location information may also beused to determine whether a patron 18 is within an appropriate proximityto an exhibit, display, animal enclosure, or the like. In this case, theimportance of location relates to delivery of the proper contentcorresponding to the location. In either circumstance, or both, locationinformation may be required by the system 12 in order to server propercontent and determine authorization.

Thus, a test 230 is responsible to determine whether a flag, filter,data field, or the like is required to be set or provided a value beforeproceeding. Thus, if location information is not required, then theprocess 186 may jump directly to the delivery 192, and may even godirectly to the retrieval step 248 therein. Otherwise, locationvalidation being required, the process 186 moves to the assessment 234.

This information is then subjected to a validation 234 by the server 12,which determines whether the URL from which the alternate languageoption was activated is an acceptable location. Again, this step 186containing the validation 234 may not be required, but typically is dueto the nature of the triggering event 193. Thus, a test 235 determineswhether the location from which the trigger event 193 proceeded iswithin a suitable geographic region. If not, then a notification occursin forming a patron 18 or patron device 18 that the access has failed.Typically, the notification 236 will also indicate a reason, includingthe fact that the geographic location is no longer valid. This meansthat the user device 18 is either not in the proper location, or theuser 18 may not be in the proper location due to ticketing and otherissues as described hereinabove.

Meanwhile, if the test 235 determines that a URL is acceptable with alocation, then an approval 237 is returned by the server 12. At thispoint, the process 180 may determine the variables to be used in avariable determinant sequence 190, or a variable determination 190. Asin other alternative embodiments, based on various locations,conditions, relations, and the like associated with triggering 182 theprocess 180, the variable determination 190 may begin with assessing 238by the server 12 whether the language preference corresponding to theviewer patron 18, and so forth has already been stored. That is, if thepatron 18 or some other indicator in the profile of the patron 18, or inthe database 14 assessed by the server 12 is clear, then the preferencemay already be stored. Otherwise, this preference will need to be setup. Accordingly, the preference information may be stored as a sessionvariable, a profile setting, or in some other associated local databaseor file register. By either mode, this preference is once identified,may then be stored 239 or linked 239 with the user patron 18.

If the test 240 determines that no language preference has presentlybeen saved, designated, or otherwise known, then the options step 242 isresponsible to assess available language options, based on the type oftrigger event 182, in this case the trigger 193. Typically, this step isconducted by the server 12, based on the particular languages orlanguage choices in which the desired content has been prepared, madeavailable, and stored. Accordingly, selection 244, by a patron 18 may beperformed by selecting 244 from a menu, icon, or other choice presented.A patron 18 may type in a language preference to a dialogue box incertain embodiments. For example, menus may often be limited in size forconvenience. Thus, more common choices available may be presenteddirectly for selection by clicking or otherwise activating a button.Meanwhile, other options may be made available by designating anotherbutton or typing in an alternative language but may or may not be foundsubsequently available. The selection, is transmitted back to the server12 which will then operate on that information to comply. It may alsosave 246 that information.

Meanwhile, the step 190 may also include saving 246 session information.Such information may include the language preference for future use inconnection with the designated patron 18. Such information may be saved246 in an appropriate location, such as an associated database, a filelinked to the session or the user 18, a field in a spreadsheet, orregister elsewhere on the server 12 or the user device 18. Informationmay be saved 246 in multiple locations.

At this point, the process 180 is prepared for delivery 192 of content.Accordingly, the server 12 may retrieve 241 and present by suitablemechanism, such as a display, audio player, text display, images, video,or the like the content associated with the trigger event 193specifically selected and triggered 182 by the user 18. This contentwill be at the URL selected in corresponding to that content, andcorresponding to the determination 190 of language.

Ultimately, the online viewer 18 may now navigate 250 upon receivingsuch as by viewing or interacting with the content. Content may includeaudio, video graphic, webpage, links, optical interactions, menus,purchase options, social media, and the like. The user 18 may thusnavigate 250 the information or content presented. For example, a user18 may select options, jump to particular presentations, skipuninteresting or unnecessary presentations, or even navigate out to analternative triggering event 182. Thus, navigation 250 may include bothnavigating the information presented, as well as navigating the screenoptions in order to navigate the process 180 again, or initiate it againwith a new triggering event 193, 194, 195.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its purposes, functions, structures, or operationalcharacteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in allrespects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of theinvention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather thanby the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

Wherefore, we claim:
 1. A method of customization of informationdelivered to a patron by mutual authorization comprising: exchangingbetween a main server and a patron device, pre-authorization forsubsequent communication of proprietary information of eachtherebetween, to be triggered by a physical object in the future;exchanging between the main server and the patron device a request forrequested content, the request containing a first identifier received bythe patron device directly from and corresponding to the physical objectand to the requested content; maintaining a linking of the requestedcontent, stored in at least one of a database and a content distributionnetwork (CDN), to the first identifier and to a second identifier,corresponding to the main server; authenticating, both the patron deviceto the main server to receive the requested content, and the server tothe patron device to access patron data, corresponding to the patrondevice, based on the first identifier as a content access control codeand the second identifier as a destination delivery control code; anddelivering the requested content in response to the request.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein delivering the requested content is based onat least one of corresponding the first and second identifiers to theauthenticating, and corresponding the requested information to thepatron device.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein: the subset comprisesat least one of images, text, audio, and video presentable by the patrondevice; delivering the requested content comprises directing therequested content to the main server.
 4. The method of claim 2 whereindelivering the requested content comprises delivering a subset of therequested content by the main server to the patron device based on theproprietary information.
 5. The method of claim 1, comprisingauthorizing, by the main server, the CDN to deliver the requestedcontent directly to the patron device.
 6. the method of claim 1, whereinthe physical object is selected from a fixture installed at a firstlocation, a region of real estate corresponding to a proximity to aphysical location, reading material, a vehicle, a package containing aproduct, a transmitter, and signage.
 7. The method of claim 1,comprising: providing, by the patron device, location data,corresponding to a location thereof, to the main server; andauthorizing, by the main server, delivery of the requested content,based on comparison of the location data, and content location dataavailable to the main server and corresponding to a subscriber and tothe requested content.
 8. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing asystem operably connecting the main server, the CDN, the database, asubscriber computer, and the patron device in a network; providing, bythe main server, corresponding exclusively to a subscriber, therequested content; and hosting by at least one of the database, the mainserver, and the CDN the requested content.
 9. The method of claim 8,comprising: providing the requested content in a plurality of languages;and delivering the requested content to the patron device in a languageselected automatically from the plurality of languages, based on thepre-authorization; wherein the authenticating is based on thepre-authorization executed by a patron to which the patron devicecorresponds exclusively.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the contentidentifier is a uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to awebsite controlled by the subscriber and identified by the physicalobject.
 11. A system for customization by automatic, mutualauthorization between a main server, a content distribution network, anda patron device, the system comprising: a main server, a contentdistribution network, and a patron device operably interconnected tocommunicate therebetween; the main server programmed to receive from thepatron device pre-authorization for subsequent communication ofproprietary information of each therebetween, to be triggered by aphysical object in the future; the patron device programmed to receivefrom the physical object information comprising an identifiercorresponding to the physical object and corresponding to requestedcontent controlled by the main server; the patron device programmed torequest of the main server the requested content based on theidentifier, and to authenticate the main server based on the identifierand the pre-authorization; the main server programmed to authenticatethe patron device to receive the requested content based on theidentifier and the pre-authorization; the content distribution networkprogrammed to deliver the requested content to the patron device basedon the identifier.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the physicalobject is selected from a fixture installed at a first location, aregion of real estate corresponding to a proximity to a physicallocation, reading material, a vehicle, a package containing a product, atransmitter, and signage.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the patrondevice is programmed to read data from the physical object an image,extract data from the image, and deliver the data extracted to the mainserver.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the main server isprogrammed to authorize delivery of the requested content, based on acomparison of location data, and content location data in a databaserecord corresponding to a subscriber controlling the main server and tothe requested content.
 15. the system of claim 14, wherein the mainserver is programmed to provide the requested content in a plurality oflanguages and deliver the requested content to the patron device in alanguage selected automatically by the main server based onpatron-specific data acquired based on a pre-authorization by the patrondevice.
 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the main server isprogrammed to query the database based on the identifier, and tocommunicate to the patron device the requested content, based on theidentifier, and only if the requested content is based on patroninformation corresponding to the patron device and disclosed to the mainserver pursuant to the pre-authorization.
 17. The system of claim 16,wherein the main server is programmed to select a subset of therequested content based on the patron information, and retrieve from thedatabase, and communicate to the patron device, the subset.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the patron information is selected from alanguage preference, a need to know controlled by a computer not undercontrol of the patron device, an authorization received from an owner ofthe subset, a status of the patron device with respect to the owner ofthe subset, a contract between the owner of the subset and a patron inpossession of the patron device, and a security clearance from agovernment entity.
 19. A computer readable, non-transitory memorycontaining data structures as executables containing computer programinstructions and operational data to be processed by the executables,the data structures comprising: a main server programmed to customizedelivery of content between itself and a patron device operablyconnecting thereto over a network by automatic, mutual authorizationtherebetween; the main server programmed to exchange between itself andthe patron device, pre-authorization for subsequent communication ofproprietary information of each therebetween, triggered by a physicalobject in the future; the main server programmed to provide, on behalfof the physical object and in response to a patron device application,an identifier constituting data identifying the main server as proxy forthe physical object; a patron device application containing instructionsprogrammed to install on a patron device to send to the main server arequest for requested content, the request containing an identifierreceived from and corresponding to the physical object and correspondingto the requested information; the patron device application comprising afirst authentication executable deliverable to the patron device fromthe main server and executable on the patron device to pass theidentifier to the server upon request for the requested content; asecond authentication executable on the server and programmed to accessthe requested content based on the pre-authorization received from thepatron application on the patron device and stored by the database andlinked to the requested content and the main server by the identifier.20. The computer readable, non-transitory memory of claim 19, whereinthe second authentication executable on the server is programmed toaccess user profile data based on the identifier as a content accesscontrol code and the pre-authorization received from the patron deviceapplication and stored by the database.